Oklahoma court sets hearing on Ten Commandments monument

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Oklahoma Supreme Court has instructed a judge to implement a ruling that a Ten Commandments monument on the state Capitol grounds is unconstitutional and must be removed.

The state’s highest court issued the mandate Thursday to carry out its June 30 decision that the monument is a religious symbol and must be removed because it violates a state constitutional ban on using public property to benefit a religion. The 7-2 ruling was reaffirmed last month when the court denied a rehearing sought by Attorney General Scott Pruitt.

The decision reversed a ruling by Oklahoma County District Judge Thomas Prince, who ruled last year that the monument could stay.

Prince has scheduled a Sept. 11 hearing to comply with the order and determine what will be done with the monument.